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IQALUIT - On Sept. 10, education minister Ed Picco announced plans to expand the Nunavut Teacher Education Program (NTEP).

An additional $2.13 million was devoted to the program to start up the NTEP in Rankin Inlet and Cambridge Bay and allow students to stay closer to home while participating in courses.

"We have promised to provide a bilingual education to all students in Nunavut and we must be able to deliver on this promise," said Picco. "The infusion of funds and renewed enthusiasm for the development of Inuit teachers is an important step in realizing our government's goal of having Inuktitut as our working language." The Nunavut Teacher Education Program trains Inuit to become classroom teachers in Nunavut.

Still a ways from a representative workforce

A document tabled in the legislative assembly shows the percentage of Government of Nunavut workers who are beneficiaries has risen as a whole. However, the most recent Towards a Representative Public Service report shows areas where the numbers have shrunk or where they are still glaringly short of representative. According to the 2006 census, Inuit accounted for 84 per cent of Nunavut's population. As of March 31, 2008, 51 per cent of the GN's workforce was made up of Inuit beneficiaries.

In senior management, middle management and professional positions, 25 and 26 per cent of the positions respectively were filled by beneficiaries.

The Qikiqtani region had the lowest beneficiary representation at 47 per cent, while the Kivalliq had 61 per cent Inuit workforce. Beneficiaries accounted for 92 per cent of administrative positions and hold 58 per cent of executive positions.

Where's the GST exemption on fuel? - MLA

Hunter Tootoo, MLA for Iqaluit Centre, asked Premier Paul Okalik how far along the government has moved on their campaign to get Nunavummiut an exemption from the five per cent GST on home heating fuel and other essential products.

Okalik, along with NWT Premier Floyd Roland and Yukon Premier Dennis Fentie, met in Yellowknife on June 28 and asked the federal government to exempt Northerners from paying GST on these products to get a break on the high cost of living.

Okalik did not say what else had been done on top of the formal recommendation but said speaking about the issue during election time could be productive.

"We're in the midst of a federal (election) so it's very timely for these issues to be discussed with candidates," said Okalik on Sept. 10.